It’s pretty clear, and there is certainly no more running away from it: the New York Rangers’ playoff fate is going to boil down to the performance (or lack thereof) of their defensemen.
This first round matchup between the kings of the Atlantic and the King himself looks extremely likely to be a long, drawn-out series—a characteristic that would seemingly play into the Rangers’ hands. After all, the more games you can play, the more wear and tear you can hope to inflict upon the pristine Carey Price, whose record against the team from Manhattan is spectacular and borderline unconscionable.